Seeing as South Africans generally don’t buy wagons anymore, there’s no sense in offering them on the local marketplace. For this reason, the Volvo V60 has been withdrawn from our shores, leaving Volvo wagon aficionados to shop in the used market if they want one. But are these ageing Swedes good used-car buys?
South Africa’s road safety record is downright atrocious, so it makes sense to prioritise safety when shopping for your next car. Safety also happens to be a headline drawcard with Volvo cars, which makes them ideal for local driving.
And, with money being short all round, the now-discontinued Volvo V60 looks like a seriously safe bargain. You can get a late-ish (2015) example with less than 100 000 km around the R 340 000 mark, or a high-mileage (160 000+ km) one for about R 100 000 less than that. Should you take the plunge?
South Africa never received the very efficient Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid. Pity.
Reliability
While we don’t have local data sources regarding reliability ratings, the international media does shed some light on the subject of reliability. The V60 is highly-rated by American owners, according to Edmunds.com, and has comparatively low running costs, according to cars.usnews.com. Similar reports from across the Atlantic ocean mirror these sentiments, with whatcar.com only reporting minor issues and few egregious design flaws.
It must be noted that the situation in South Africa is likely to be a bit different, as it happens to be for many European-designed premium cars, due to our road conditions. Potholes, gravel roads and speed humps are not kind to suspension rubbers and shock absorbers, and manifest in early control arm bush wear.
Maintenance
In days gone by, Volvo maintenance in South Arica used to be a real chore, because spare parts were expensive and hard to find. And, because they were unfamiliar to most non-OEM workshops, they also acquired a reputation for being difficult to work on.
But things have changed in recent years, thanks to wider aftermarket support and more private Volvo specialist workshops. You can buy OEM-equivalent parts from outlets such as Goldwagen now, so routine maintenance and servicing shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge or expense, either, relative to other cars in the same (premium) market segment.
Equipment
We only received the first generation of Volvo V60 in South Africa, which were produced from 2011 to 2018. In automotive terms, that’s a lifetime, and, while the V60 was treated to regular updates, its in-car technology is by now far behind Volvo’s latest hardware.
The last examples (post-2014) received newer infotainment systems, and Bluetooth connectivity has always been fitted, but forget about oversized colour touchscreens, smartphone mirroring, or embedded 4G SIM cards. What you will get is a thundering Harman Kardon audio system, and the Volvo On Call phone app for some remote connectivity. Not cutting edge anymore, but still sufficient for most users.
Practicality
Modern Volvo estates aren’t as boxy as they used to be, and their sleeker shapes do have some effect on practicality. The first-generation V60’s boot only measured 430-litres, which was a bit disappointing for a car of this size and shape.
That rakish roofline and tapered greenhouse also exact their toll on cabin space. Front-seat occupants won’t have any cause for complaint, but rear seat leg- and headroom are both comparatively limited.
Verdict
The Volvo V60 was eventually replaced by the “crossover-ised” V60 Cross Country, in an attempt to boost its appeal in an SUV-crazy market. This effort didn’t sell well when new, either, perhaps because its XC60 sister was an actual SUV and didn’t cost much more.
But don’t let its old-style interior and limited practicality put you off. If there’s enough space for your needs, and if you can appreciate a potent audio system and superlative seats, a late-model Volvo V60 or V60 Cross Country is very likely to provide comfortable, dependable service at a reasonable price.
Keyword: Is a used Volvo V60 a good car?